Summerhill, for and Against: Outstanding Writers in Education, and Psychology Evaluate the Concepts of A.S. Neill

by A.S. Neill

When the book A Radical Approach to Child Rearing was announced in 1960, A.S. Neill was virtually unknown in the U.S., and not a single bookseller placed an advanced order. Yet today Neill's controversial theories are required reading in universities and the interest in Summerhill is worldwide. Expressing highly contrasting views in For and Against are fifteen noted scholars and writers, including Erich Fromm, Louise Bates Ames, Bruno Bettelheim, and Sylvia Ashton-Warner.

Genres: Psychology, British Literature, Philosophy, Nonfiction, Education

Paperback

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

Alexander Sutherland Neill was a Scottish progressive educator, author and founder of Summerhill school and its philosophy of freedom from adult coercion and its community self-governance, which remains open and continues to follow his educational philosophy to this day. He is best known as an advocate of personal freedom for children.

Reviews

[Lucia Kelly]

A real mixed bag - which I guess is the gamble with any collection.

For every good essay or thoughtful critique there was an essay that either completely missed Neill's point or didn't really address Summerhill at all - a particular standout was the hippie who used the platform to expound upon the benefits of psychedelic drugs!

All in all, glad to finally say goodbye to this book, although it was enjoyable - and Erich Fromm's essay certainly ended the book on a high note - some of it was simply excruciating to get through.

[Elizabeth Lund]

OK; I didn't feel that any of the "against" arguments were very well-constructed. I'd like to see someone against the ideas who really takes them seriously.

[Raineye]

Insightful. Το ποσο ευκολα διαβαζεται και ποσες αντιστοιχιες εχει ακομα η δεκαετια του '70 με το σημερα (2023) μου προκαλεσε εκπληξη.
Εξαιρετικο βιβλιο για να παρεις μια ιδεα για τις διαφορες γραμμες εκπαιδευσης που ακολουθουνται ανα τα χρονια και πως εξελισσονται παραλληλα με τις διαφορες κοινωνικες αλλαγες - ή και οχι...

[Vassiliadi]

Με αφορμή ένα μάθημα στο Πανεπιστήμιο μάθαμε για το Σαμμερχιλ και θέλησα να μάθω περισσότερα. Υπήρξε μία εποχή που είχε θεοποιηθει και θεωρήθηκε το ιδανικό σχολείο. Διαβάζοντας το βιβλίο ανασκευάζεται ο μύθος ειδωμενος στις σωστές του διαστάσεις.